- i24NEWS
- Israel-Hamas war
- Over 550 killed as Hezbollah leaders come under crosshairs
Over 550 killed as Hezbollah leaders come under crosshairs
In what has been called the "largest operation" in the IAF's history, more than 1,600 Hezbollah sites were targeted since the start of the wave of attacks on Sunday
The Lebanese health ministry said on Monday that 558 people had been killed in widespread Israeli attacks against Hezbollah targets.
A senior IDF officer called it the "largest operation" in Israel's military history. Over the span of a day, more than 1,600 Hezbollah sites were targeted, mainly homes where weapons were stored, in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.
Israel has taken unprecedented measures to prevent civilian casualties, including warning civilians by reportedly taking over radio frequencies, dropping leaflets, making tens of thousands of phone calls, and sending text messages.
The IDF assesses that a high number of those killed are Hezbollah terrorists.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has struck back by launching hundreds of rockets and drones at northern Israel, reaching deeper into Israeli territory.
The current wave of IDF attacks began Sunday after heightened tensions due to a string of attacks last week, including two that targeted Hezbollah devices, killing and maiming operatives.
On Friday, Israel struck several high-ranking Hezbollah military commanders, with the IDF fine-tuning the objectives of the war to include the return of evacuated residents of northern Israel.
Since October 8, the day after the worst attack attack in Israel's history, Hezbollah began launching rocket salvos at northern Israeli communities, prompting Israel to respond.
The only time since then that the fighting stopped was during a ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip for the return of dozens of hostages. Hezbollah has stated that it will honor a ceasefire deal made between Israel and Hamas, but talks for a deal have dragged on for months, with no end in sight to the impasse for a hostage release deal.